The Auditor General seems to like WestConnex as much as we do. Labor and the Coalition should never have supported this giant waste of money.
The Australian National Audit Office has released its report into Commonwealth funding of the WestConnex project. And the verdict's damning.
The report looks into whether appropriate steps were taken to protect the Commonwealth's interests and obtain value for money in relation to the $3.5 billion in Commonwealth funding committed to WestConnex.
The report puts in print some very uncomfortable facts about WestConnex that the community has suspected for years. It shows that key milestones were fudged to ensure the money kept on flowing. There has been an appalling lack of probity and good governance throughout the life of this project, with proper process compromised all along the way.
The Auditor-General concluded:
"The WestConnex project had not proceeded fully through the established processes to assess the merits of nationally significant infrastructure investments prior to Australian Government funding being committed. This situation was identified in departmental advice to decision makers prior to decisions being taken."
This week, I joined community members outside Parliament for a rally to urge the government to find alternatives to this monstrous white elephant. If you agree we need world class public transport, not expensive toll roads, please sign and share our petition.
